"Cars" Review

[Ira]

COOL--and I thought it was gonna stink.

Don't know if you know it, but the sub-plot has to do with the deterioration of Carburetor Springs, a small town on Route 66 that was affected, like hundreds of other towns, by the introduction of the interstate.

Putting the animation aside (which is always fantastic with Pixar), it was a great story about this piece of Americana. (My Venezuelan wife didn't know anything about this, so it was a great lesson for her too.)

Larry the Cable Guy was hysterical, and having Paul Newman play an aging Hudson who had seen the better days--when people travelled just to enjoy the TRAVELLING--well, it was pretty touching in this respect as well.

Having never travelled along Route 66, but knowing the history, I got a real kick out of this aspect of the movie. And of course, a happy ending!

Two Buds up on this one!

[Chris C]

I'm glad you went and glad you enjoyed it. How did your son like it?

[elmo]

Thanks for the review Ira!

I am actually taking my 4 year old to the 7:15 movie tonight!

Does anyone kow how it did in the box office? I know there was alot of pre-release stuff. I have been stepping on Mater for a month already.

Elmer out

[jagular7]

I had thought it was a great movie. My kids thought so also.

Found this for comparison to the movie's city location: Radiator Springs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboy%2C_California
Went searching for a link to Carburetor Springs, and got a link to
'Radiator Springs is a fictional town from Pixar's animated film, Cars (film), on Route 66. It was based loosely on the town of Amboy, California.'

Someone at work thought of Peach Springs in AZ was the town the movie was based on. Looking for the connection between Rt66 and I40

[Ira]

Ooops--my bad. Radiator Springs. (I'm old, okay? I forget things.)

The kids loved it Chris, and as far as how much it grossed, I'm sure it made a fortune.

Elmer, make sure you sit through all of the final closing credits, and keep your eye out for the "Dedicated to" thing. Someone died not too long ago, car accident, who did voices in a few Pixar pics.

[rainjer]

I took the wif & kids Friday afternoon. We went to the DLP showing. Chrystal clear. We all loved it. There are losts of jokes in the movie that go over the kids head. I loved the "flies".

[elmo]

Here is the dedication info.

("Cars" is dedicated to Disney and Pixar veteran Joe Ranft - who died in 2005 in a car crash, ironically enough - and whose story credits include "The Brave Little Toaster," "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast.")

I kind of want to see "The Brave Little Toaster"!

Has anyone heard of or seen that?

[Archer_1]

"The Brave Little Toaster" is like "The Incredible Journey", except this time, its appliances instead of family pets. Great movie for both kids and adults. Most video rental places will have it, usually in the Family Films section.

We went and saw Cars this weekend, and I'll back up Ira's comments: this flick was a whole lot of fun. Larry_the_Cable_Guy as "Mater the Tow Truck" steals every scene he's in. I'm not one to laugh much in movies as a rule; but this time I was embarrasing my teenage daughter from two rows away, I was laughing so loud. Particularly when a character at the back of a scene calls out for 'Freebird' and it seemed like my wife and I were the only ones in the theatre who got the joke.

[RKH]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brave_l ... _users.php

[s4son]

The latest edition of the Route 66 magazine has an interview with one of the directors. A bunch of the movie folks took a Route 66 tour before filming started and it was the inspiration for a lot of the buildings and such. If you get a chance pick up a copy of the mag. It's a good read and full of other interesting stuff like the 75th anniversary of Airstream.

http://www.route66magazine.com/

Scott F.

[Ira]

There's a Route 66 magazine?

Just what I need--another obsessive hobby.

[subtearanean]

Ira,

Where in VZ is your wife from? I've got good friends in San Cristobal and Valencia. Spent almost 4 weeks touring the country back in 1991.....what a time. What food. What people.

Sadly haven't been back, but we still keep in touch.

[Ira]

Ira,

Where in VZ is your wife from? I've got good friends in San Cristobal and Valencia. Spent almost 4 weeks touring the country back in 1991.....what a time. What food. What people.

Sadly haven't been back, but we still keep in touch.

Ahhh..you were there before CHAVEZ!

My wife's from outside of downtown Caracas, a neighborhood called Caricao. (I think I spelled that right.) I met her on Avenida Lincoln in downtown Caracas while on vacation in 1988. I've never been to Valencia, but it's not all that far away.

You probably saw A LOT of the country, judging by your time there.

For 2 years, I had a condo in Macuto, in the La Guiara area, in Falcon State, near the beaches and near the airport (Simon Bolivar International). Well, I didn't HAVE it, but I was doing advertising work for Santa Teresa, Venezuela's number 2 rum producer, and it was mine to use during my tenure with them. I still lived in New York, but flew down to use it while I was "courting" my wife and doing work for the company.

In the 90s, this area was totally leveled and devastated by mudslldes. Thousands died, and that scumbag Chavez wouldn't take U.S. help because he was such a Castro lover that he wanted to make us look bad--even though his people were dying and they were BEGGING for help.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent, but I hate the bastard.

My guess is that you've been to Margarita Island, Colonia Tovar (German Village), and Merida (snow!).

My biggest regret is that after 20 plus trips there in less than 2 years, I NEVER made it to the interior, like Angel Falls. Every time I visited, it was to see my soon-to-be wife and hang out with the family. Every time I just wanted to grab a por puesto (bus) with a knapsack on my back and go just "anywhere," my wife would scream that it's too dangerous to do so.

[asianflava]

We saw Cars last night. We had some errands that fell thru and we found ourselves with some free time. My wife's favorite is the tire changer guy, I liked Luigi the Fiat. I liked the movie, as car guys there are a few things that I caught that my wife didn't.

Spoiler warning:

When they showed the "King" crash at the end. He was vertical spinning thru thr air. Petty crashed like that in Daytona. I've tried to find a pic on the internet to show my wife but I've been unsuccesful. I remember that pic from the front page of the newspaper back home.

Make shure to stay for the credits. Like all Pixar movies, they are entertaing as well. I also noticed that they credited a few places as inspiration for the movie. I guess those places are based on actual locations.

[BILLYL]

Ira-

Wow - ain't this a small world. My Aunt lives in Caracas. She was a nun and then taught english. Go figure.

I plan on seeing on Sunday.

Ihear it's a hoot........................

Bill